Yurika Nakamura Disappointed With Awajishima Run

http://www.jiji.com/jc/zc?k=200811/2008110300194&rel=j&g=spo
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=spo_30&k=2008110300213

translated and edited by Brett Larner

On the 3rd stage of the Nov. 3 Awajishima Women's Ekiden, Beijing Olympics women's marathon 13th-place finisher Yurika Nakamura of Team Tenmaya finished with the 3rd-fastest time behind the new stage record performance of Team Wacoal's Kayoko Fukushi and the stellar debut run by Team Daihatsu's Ryoko Kisaki, the former Bukkyo University ace. "I still can't run 100%," a disappointed Nakamura said after the race. "The middle section was no good." Team Tenmaya head coach Yutaka Taketomi commented, "Losing to Fukushi was kind of a given, but losing to Kisaki.....Yurika's still suffering from the Olympics and hasn't taken the next step forward yet."

Looking to the future, Nakamura told reporters, "I want to focus on getting my track times down. I think I can match Fukushi and the other top athletes." Taketomi confirmed previous statements that Nakamura will not try to make the marathon team for the 2009 Berlin World Track and Field Championships, saying, "We have no plans to do a marathon this season."

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